Kids & Parenting

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This article first appeared in the Winter 2002 issue of Christian Parenting Today.

It’s 10:05 PM and the kids are still awake. As I turn my back from the basket of freshly folded laundry, I ask them for the third time to get into their beds. Before another word is said, I turn back to the laundry basket only to find it overturned, and my two precious children climbing their newly formed mountain. Three, two, one…here goes my lid, "GET INTO BED THIS INSTANT!” I yell.

The dynamic duo, knowing not to mess with this tone, quickly scamper diligently under the covers of their beds. And the second their eyes close for the evening that little voice inside starts beating me up. Noelle, you were too hard on them. Just look at them, they are nothing less then angels. How could you loose your temper with these precious faces? My prayer is the same as it is after many other exasperating nights, Oh Lord, let me know I am doing something right as a parent. Let me know they’re on the right path.

One particular day after I had dropped the children off at a friend’s house to play, I zipped through town running errands when I noticed the car in front of me swerve. Out from under his front tire a tiny fury animal desperately scurried to the side of the road. Quickly, I pulled the car over and searched for the animal. After about twenty minutes in the hot Alabama sun, I called off the fruitless search party and resumed my day. About 15 minutes later, my errands took me by that way again. As I drove past the scene of the crime, I quickly surveyed the area from my car for the injured animal. Across four lanes of traffic, I spotted the small gray tail of an animal peeking through the median’s tall grass. I turned my car around to check on it out.

I tiptoed closer, not sure what kind of creature I would find. Then, a tiny kitten looked up at me through the weeds and grass of the median. “Hello,” I said. The kitten opened its mouth, but nothing came out. The small kitten sat in a pile of fire ants, I attempted to pick it up and the kitten tried to run away. It was apparent then, she was badly hurt. Her two back legs made no movement, only pulled by the power of her two front legs. I picked her up and laid her in my arms. She laid her head down and began to pant. Her mouth opened again, but no meow came forth. We got in the car and headed for the nearest vet.

My husband met me at the vet clinic. The vet briefed us on her condition. “She’s definitely in shock and has no feeling or movement in her two back legs,” said the vet. “This maybe due to spinal cord damage. If it is a problem with the spinal cord, there isn’t much we can do. If it swelling around the spinal cord, we may see some improvement over time. We’ll give her some steroids to help if there is swelling. Other than that, the best thing we can do is wait and see how she fares overnight,” explained the vet. With a new family member and vet bill, my husband and I walked outside to discuss what we should do. ‘Do we tell the children?’ we asked each other. It may turn out to be a good lesson for them in caring. On the other hand, if the kitten needs to be put to sleep, then what are we teaching them? After weighing the situation, my husband and I decided to tell the children about the little kitten.

I picked the children up and explained what had happened earlier that day.
“You know guys, maybe we should say a prayer for the kitten. That’s the best thing we can do for her right now,” I explained.
The children agreed and took their task seriously. We sat down, bowed our heads, and with folded hands said a prayer aloud to God to help the poor little kitten.

Hours later, I was surprised when we bowed our heads for the blessing at dinner that the children remembered the kitten. “Mommy, can we say another prayer for the kitten?” asked my daughter, Madeline.

“Of course, sweetheart. Will you say it?” I asked.

“Dear God, please be with the little kitten. We really, really want her to be okay. We know that you can do anything, so please help her to get better,” she said. “Be our guest and bless this food too. Thank you,” she ended.

I couldn’t help but be touched at her sincere prayer. My mind immediately went into my own prayer. Please God, hear their prayers. Let them see how good you are. If you don’t, I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do.

I thought that would be the end of it for a while. But as the evening went on, my children initiated prayers for the kitten whenever it crossed their minds, riding in the car, watching a Friskees commercial, even getting ready for bed. I kept the same response everytime. As I listened to them, I kept praying, A lot is at stake with this God. I pray for them to see that you do answer prayers. Please hear that their pure hearts are asking selflessly. Please help me know how to comfort them when this kitten dies.

The next day the children asked if they could meet the kitten, so we made a quick trip to the vet’s to visit and check in with the kitty. Her status had not really changed except that she was eating. Still, the kids fell in love with her instantly, ohhing and ahhing over her small tiny size. The children gave the kitten a kiss and we left her to rest for the weekend.

All weekend long, the children’s response was the same, breaking out into prayer whenever they were reminded of her. Were these the same two children who consistently stomp their feet and protest loudly when it is time for church or choir? It appeared something wonderful was happening here.

On Monday my eyes teared up, as the receptionist told me about the kitten’s condition. “We checked on her this morning and she is moving three of her legs perfectly. The fourth leg is still dragging, but doesn’t seem to get in her way. She’s has been eating and purring. The vet said you are welcome to take her home, but to keep her quiet and bring her back next Monday,” she said.

I hung up the phone and released another tear or two. All this time I was so concerned about what to tell the children when their prayers weren’t answered, I hadn’t even thought about what I’d say or do if their prayers were answered. Now, we had a kitten to bring home. The children jumped around for a god five minutes before they calmed down.

“What do we say when we get a gift from someone?” I asked.

“Thank you,” said my son, Lanier.

“Is there someone we should thank?” I asked.

“God!” they both answered. So once again, we bowed our heads and gave the best prayer thank you I’ve heard. The children couldn’t sit still.

On the way to the vet’s, I explained again, the state of the kitten. “We have to be very careful with her. She is still hurt and we need to give her quiet time. When I brought her in to the vets she wasn’t able to meow- so we are going to need to be careful. We can’t lose her in the house. We’ll have to keep her in one or two rooms.”

“Mom, I am going to say another prayer that God fixes the kitten to meow,” said Lanier in a serious tone.

“Well, honey, God has already done so much for the kitty. Let’s just thank Him again for helping her get well.”

Despite my words, Lanier wasn’t afraid to ask God for the kitten to meow.
The kitten came home. With lots of love and continued prayers, she did make some progress. Her fourth leg has limited movement and will not need to be amputated as first thought. After a month or so of our care, our ‘foster care’ was over and it was time to find a new home for the kitten. An unlikely couple came forth to take responsibility for her. My parents. When my parents heard the story of the kitten and saw the sweet little animal, they couldn’t resist bringing her into there home. She now lives in sunny Florida with two of the greatest animal lovers I know. Madeline and Lanier look forward to seeing the kitten, now named Lucy, every time they visit. And as far as her meowing? One last lesson for me. Several weeks after Lanier’s prayer, we heard a small peeping from her carrying case on a trip. To our family’s surprised, the kitty learned to meow. God answered the prayer Lanier was kind enough to pray. I think I ran across a verse that best describes the lesson my husband and I learned from the roadside kitten. It is ‘therefore whoever humbles himself as the little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 18:4). That desperate prayer I’d said so often had been answered too. God has been helping me as a mother to do something right and my children were definitely on the right path. I would do well to have faith and confidence in God like my children do.

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